[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The GreatViews expressed here are not necessarily the views & opinions of ActivistChat.com. Comments are unmoderated. Abusive remarks may be deleted. ActivistChat.com retains the rights to all content/IP info in in this forum and may re-post content elsewhere.

Nazanin, 17, was sentenced to death by hanging for defending herself against three rapists.

A young girl who defended herself and her chastity against three male assailants who intended to kidnap and rape her causing injury to one of them who later died in hospital was condemned to death by hanging in an Islamic court in Iran. Nazanin who has seen no more than 17 Springs, all of which under the tyrannical rule of the Mullahs is now facing execution for trying to defend herself and her honor.

No where in the world and under no law self defense is considered to be a crime, but in the tyrannical mullacracy of Iran if a woman does not resist rape she will be stoned as adulterer and if she does she will be hanged.

Nazanin, this young innocent girl, was assaulted by three criminal men in the West of Tehran while strolling with her niece in a park last March (2005). To defend herself she pulled out a knife and stabbed one of her assailants. The knife penetrated the ribs of her attacker who later died in the hospital. The attacks on women in Iran is so frequent that many are forced to carry a concealed weapon for self defense. Unfortunately the Islamic law does not even allow women the right to self defense.

Despite the fact that she had been acting in self defense, as shown by the evidences presented and the testimony of eyewitnesses, Nazanin was sentenced to death by hanging. In the last court hearing she told the judge “I only defended myself and the honor of my family”. She repeated this several times. Her words fell of deaf ears and the all male jury who like their misogynist prophet thought it is outrageous for a woman to stand for her rights and defend her dignity and honor, swiftly ordered her execution.

The travesty of justice in Islamic Republic of Iran is beyond description. Please send this news to all the newspapers big and small. Please do not allow this crime go unnoticed. This girl is an innocent flower in the hands of ferocious beasts. Do not allow them to nip her young life in the bud. Let us together provoke an outcry so loud that the ruling thugs in Iran can’t ignore.

These criminals have no shame and don’t give a hoot to world outcry and condemnation. Nonetheless it is our duty as humans not to remain silent.

Please ask your newspaper to report this story.

Please write to your MP and urge the Parliament in your country to condemn the Islamic regime of Iran for their misogyny, human rights violations and crime against humanity.

Please complain to the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights tb-petitions@ohchr.org and ask them to pressure Iran to free Nazanin.

You have to state your name, nationality and address to the all the above if you want your complaint be taken seriously.

A few years ago the son of one of the Mullahs shot and killed a policeman. He walked free by giving a few thousands of dollars to the family of the victim.

“Evil triumphs when good people do nothing”.

Will you give a few minutes of your time to save this precious girl’s innocent life? She has not much time as executions in Iran are swift. Please show your humanity and act now.

17-year-old Nazanin was sentenced to death for protecting her chastity against three rapists who attacked her on April 20th, 2005 [on the Akbarabad road that leads to the Tehran suburb of Karadj], with a knife. She stabbed one of her assailants, named Youssef, in self-defense; he was stabbed in the heart and later died in the hospital. The misogynist regime of the Mullahs that has ruthlessly violated the rights of all girls and women in Iran since it's inception in 1979 continues to savagely punish (either by public execution or stoning to death) all women for defending themselves.

During Nazanin's court hearing, onlookers who witnessed the attack, confirmed Nazanin's claims against her assailants; the penal court, branch 71 decided however that the death sentence must be imposed. In her last court hearing, Nazanin said: "I only wanted to defend myself and protect my family's reputation and good name." One of the Mullah judges replied: "How could you murder a young man? We will teach you a lesson so that the likes of your filthy whores cannot raise a hand on men ever again."

Later it turned out that her attackers were in fact Basijis (a mobilization force created by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; they are extremely Radical militia - overseen and supported by Khamenei and Ahmadinejad) from Karadj.

Freedom-loving women and youth,

We hereby announce that we will take to the streets and hold massive demonstrations against the immoral regime of Mullahs in order to show them, once and for all that they cannot play with the lives of Iranian women in order to promote and protract their political and despotic goals.

TEHRAN -- An 18-year-old Iranian woman who killed a man that she said tried to rape her has been sentenced to death for murder, according to a press report on Saturday.

The woman identified only as Nazanin claimed self-defense during her trial after she stabbed a man to death in March 2005, the Etemad newspaper reported.

It said that Nazanin, who was 17 at the time, had been out with her niece and their boyfriends on a road west of Tehran when two men started harassing them and then tried to rape them after the boyfriends had run away.

"I committed murder to defend myself and my niece, I did not mean to kill him. I did not know what to do because nobody came to help us," the paper quoted her as saying during her trial.

In January 2005, after seven years of legal wrangling, the Iranian judiciary acquitted a woman who killed a senior police officer that she said had attempted to rape her on the Gulf island of Kish.

The European Union and international human rights groups have been pressuring Iran to stop executing those under age 18, and the UN General Assembly has adopted a non-binding resolution denouncing the practice of executing minors in Iran.

Iran's ultraconservative judiciary has responded to critics by saying that minors are not executed in the Islamic republic. It has also proposed a law that would prohibit the death penalty or flagellation for those who were minors at the time of the crimes.

According to Iranian law, a boy can be executed from the age of 15, and a girl from the age of nine. However, the execution is carried out when the offender is over 18 years old.

The Iranian press reported that a disabled man had been executed in public on Friday, the first of the year. At least 81 people were executed in Iran last year, according to an AFP tally based on press reports and witnesses. Amnesty International says that at least 159 people were executed in Iran in 2004.

A Plea For Support & PROTEST: Rise Up For Defense Of Brave 17-year-old Iranian girl Sentenced to Death By Islamist Mullah Court for Defending Herself Against Three Islamist Rapists and Support Islamist Regime Change NOW

To: All Freedom-Loving Compatriots (Right, Left and Center)

17-year-old Brave Iranian Girl Nazanin was sentenced to death by hanging for defending herself against three rapists on April 20th, 2005.
A Brave girl who defended herself and her chastity against three male assailants who intended to kidnap and rape her causing injury to one of them who later died in hospital was condemned to death by hanging in an Islamic court in Iran. Nazanin who has seen no more than 17 Springs, all of which under the tyrannical rule of the Mullahs is now facing execution for trying to defend herself and her honor.

No where in the world and under no law self defense is considered to be a crime, but in the tyrannical Mullacracy of Iran if a woman does not resist rape she will be stoned as adulterer and if she does she will be hanged.

Nazanin, this young innocent girl, was assaulted by three Islamist men in the West of Tehran while strolling with her niece in a park last March (2005). To defend herself she pulled out a knife and stabbed one of her assailants. The knife penetrated the ribs of her attacker who later died in the hospital. The attacks on women in Iran is so frequent that many are forced to carry a concealed weapon for self defense. Unfortunately the Islamic law does not even allow women the right to self defense.

Despite the fact that she had been acting in self defense, as shown by the evidences presented and the testimony of eyewitnesses, Nazanin was sentenced to death by hanging.

During Nazanin's court hearing, onlookers who witnessed the attack, confirmed Nazanin's claims against her assailants; the penal court, branch 71 decided however that the death sentence must be imposed. In her last court hearing, Nazanin said: "I only wanted to defend myself and protect my family's reputation and good name." One of the Mullah judges replied: "How could you murder a young man? We will teach you a lesson so that the likes of your filthy whores cannot raise a hand on men ever again."
Later it turned out that her attackers were in fact Basijis (a mobilization force created by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; they are extremely Radical militia - overseen and supported by Khamenei and Ahmadinejad) from Karaj.
it is outrageous for a woman to stand for her rights and defend her dignity and honor, swiftly ordered her execution.

The travesty of justice in Islamic Republic of Iran is beyond description. Please send this news to all the newspapers big and small. Please do not allow this crime go unnoticed. This girl is an innocent flower in the hands of ferocious beasts. Do not allow them to nip her young life in the bud. Let us together provoke an outcry so loud that the ruling thugs in Iran can’t ignore.

These criminals have no shame and don’t give a hoot to world outcry and condemnation. Nonetheless it is our duty as humans not to remain silent.

In another case of “acid attack” from Iran Focus source we have been informed: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 04 – In the latest “acid attack” by radical Islamists on young women accused of ignoring the country’s strict dress regulations, two female university students had acid splashed on their faces in the town of Shahroud, north-eastern Iran. ( http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5152 )

A Plea For Support & Demonstration Attendance from all Freedom-Loving Activists around the world in our united fight against Execution of 17 Year Old Gir, Terrorists, Islamofascists, and Fanaticism!

This is an invitation to join us in a worldwide demonstration against the Mafia Mullahs, Terrorists, Islamofascists, and Fanatics who intend to stop and kill the spread of FREEDOM, SECULARISM & DEMOCRACY around the World! Our unified presence in a worldwide demonstration will be the biggest blow to the Mafia Mullahs.

If you are against GENOCIDE,

If you are against TERRORISM,

If you are against FANATICS,

If you are against the MAFIA MULLAHS,

If you are against ISLAMOFASCISTS,

If you are against ALL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS,

If your family has been victimized by any act of terrorism (Sept 11th Terror Attacks, Terrorism in Europe, Middle East, Asia and throughout the world), please bring a picture of your loved one/s to the demonstration.

If your family has been victimized by the Islamist Mafia Regime in Iran or is a family member of one of the over 100,000 freedom-loving political prisoners, torture victims, or Iranians who have been executed in the past 25 years, please bring a picture of your loved one/s to the demonstration.

If you oppose all terrorism and acts of violence against those who wish to live in freedom, then your support and unity with the Iranian people should not be based on whether you are a democrat, republican, libertarian, conservative, independent, green, left, right, or center, but should be based only on your belief that the destiny of the human race is freedom and the unending pursuit of our wishes and our dreams.

Freedom-loving Iranians and people of the world invite you to participate in one of the following scheduled demonstrations, which are part of an overall offensive that is being launched against the Islamic Mafia Master's of Terror, who currently hold the Iranian people and much of the world hostage. Together we will destroy this fanatical virus that threatens to destroy all we have fought, suffered, and lived for, for so long! Our destiny is nothing less than absolute freedom, an end to political imprisonment, and the death of theocratic regimes everywhere!

For updated information and schedules regarding the worldwide FREEDOM-MOVEMENT visit ActivistChat.com! Also, if you or your group is organizing a pro-freedom demonstrations please contact us at info@activistchat.com.
"Human beings are all members of one body.
They are created from the same essence.
When one member is in pain,
The others cannot rest.
If you do not care about the pain of others,
You do not deserve to be called a human being."
A Quote from Famous Persian Poet Saadi Shirazi
( 13th century Persian poet from Shiraz / Iran )
Sincerely Yours,

Schedule of Demonstrations Against The Mafia Islamist Regime of Ayatollahs:
Europe, U.S.A. and Canada

UNITED STATES:
Washington, D.C.
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Los Angeles
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Sacramento
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Dallas
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Palo Alto
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Uptown Charlotte, NC
Date & Time:
Place:

Seattle
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized

CANADA:
Toronto
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

GERMANY:
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Norenberg
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Dusseldorf
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Heidelberg
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Hamburg
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Munich
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:
Koln
Place:

ENGLAND:
London
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

DENMARK:
Odense
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

SWEDEN:
Stockholm
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Göteborg
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

HOLLAND:
Den Haag
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Den Haag
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

FRANCE:
Paris
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

NORWAY:
Oslo
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

BELGIUM:
Brussels
Place:
Date & Time:
Organized info:

Finland :
Helsinki
Place:
Date & Time:

Switzerland:
Geneva
Place:
Date & Time:

Last edited by cyrus on Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:00 pm; edited 6 times in total

RFE/RL
7 January 2006 -- Iran's "Etemad" newspaper reports today that an 18-year-old woman has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing a man she said was trying to rape her.

The newspaper reported that the woman, identified only as Nazanin, testified during her trial that she and her niece were out with their boyfriends when they were accosted by two men who chased away the boyfriends then tried to rape the two young women.

Nazanin admitted stabbing one of the men to prevent her and her niece from being assaulted.

Nazanin was only 17 years old at the time, but under Iranian law a boy can be executed from the age of 15 and a girl from the age of nine.

At least 81 people were executed in 2005 in Iran, which has been heavily criticized within the international community for its laws and practices on capital punishment.

Tehran, Iran, Jan. 07 – An Iranian court has sentenced a teenage rape victim to death by hanging after she weepingly confessed that she had unintentionally killed a man who had tried to rape both her and her niece.

The state-run daily Etemaad reported on Saturday that 18-year-old Nazanin confessed to stabbing one of three men who had attacked the pair along with their boyfriends while they were spending some time in a park west of the Iranian capital in March 2005.

Nazanin, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, said that after the three men started to throw stones at them, the two girls’ boyfriends quickly escaped on their motorbikes leaving the pair helpless.

She described how the three men pushed her and her 16-year-old niece Somayeh onto the ground and tried to rape them, and said that she took out a knife from her pocket and stabbed one of the men in the hand.

As the girls tried to escape, the men once again attacked them, and at this point, Nazanin said, she stabbed one of the men in the chest. The teenage girl, however, broke down in tears in court as she explained that she had no intention of killing the man but was merely defending herself and her younger niece from rape, the report said.

The court, however, issued on Tuesday a sentence for Nazanin to be hanged to death.

Last week, a court in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, sentenced Delara Darabi to death by hanging charged with murder when she was 17 years old. Darabi has denied the charges.

In August 2004, Iran’s Islamic penal system sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Atefeh Rajabi, to death after a sham trial, in which she was accused of committing “acts incompatible with chastity”.

The teenage victim had no access to a lawyer at any stage and efforts by her family to retain one were to no avail. Atefeh personally defended herself and told the religious judge that he should punish those who force women into adultery, not the victims. She was eventually hanged in public in the northern town of Neka.

January 7, 2006: an 18-year-old Iranian woman who killed a man she said tried to rape her was sentenced to death for murder, according to the Etemad newspaper.
The woman identified only as Nazanin claimed self defence during her trial after she stabbed a man to death in March 2005. The paper said Nazanin, who was 17 at the time, had been out with her niece and their boyfriends on a road west of Tehran when two men started harassing them and then tried to rape them after the boyfriends had run away. "I committed murder to defend myself and my niece, I did not mean to kill him. I did not know what to do because nobody came to help us," the paper quoted her as saying during her trial. (Sources: Agence France Presse, 07/01/2005)

First, let us read the news: "On January 7, 2006 the 18-year-old Iranian woman who killed a man she said tried to rape her was sadly sentenced to death for murder. The woman identified only as Nazanin claimed self defense during her trial after she stabbed a man to death in March 2005. Nazanin, who was 17 at the time, had been out with her niece and their boyfriends on a road west of Tehran when two men started harassing them and then tried to rape them after the boyfriends had run away.

"I committed murder to defend myself and my niece; I did not mean to kill him. I did not know what to do because nobody came to help us," she said during her trial.

In January 2005, after seven years of legal wrangling, the Iranian judiciary acquitted a woman who killed a senior police officer she said had attempted to rape on the Persian Gulf island of Kish. The European Union and international human rights groups have been pressuring Iran to stop executing those under age 18, and the UN General Assembly has adopted a non-binding resolution denouncing the practice of executing minors in Iran.

According to Iranian law, a boy can be executed from the age of 15, and a girl from the age of nine. However, the execution is carried out when the offender is over 18 years old".

On January the 7th, which coincides with Day 17 in Persian Calendar, is in fact a very important day in the History of Iran, and it was used to be called the "Emancipation Day of Iranian Women".

Reza Khan, What Iran Needs Now
On January 7, 1936 Reza Shah (the founder of Pahlavi dynasty), his wife and daughters attended the graduation ceremony at the Teacher College (in Farsi: Daneshsaray-e-Aali) in Tehran. All women participated in the ceremony were advised to come unveiled. Emancipation of women was officially born. Unveiling was made compulsory and women were banned from wearing the Arabs' veil (in Farsi:chador) and scarf in public.

The Arab-parast Mullahs of Iran executed and killed a young girl in Tehran on the "Emancipation Day of Iranian Women"? to demonstrate the Mullahs' brutality, viciousness, and rough treatment especially towards all women in Iran!

TEHRAN -- An 17-year-old Iranian woman who killed a man that she said tried to rape her has been sentenced to death for murder, according to a press report on Saturday.

The woman identified only as Nazanin claimed self-defense during her trial after she stabbed a man to death in March 2005, the Etemad newspaper reported.

It said that Nazanin, who was 17 at the time, had been out with her niece and their boyfriends on a road west of Tehran when two men started harassing them and then tried to rape them after the boyfriends had run away.

"I committed murder to defend myself and my niece, I did not mean to kill him. I did not know what to do because nobody came to help us," the paper quoted her as saying during her trial.

In January 2005, after seven years of legal wrangling, the Iranian judiciary acquitted a woman who killed a senior police officer that she said had attempted to rape her on the Gulf island of Kish.

The European Union and international human rights groups have been pressuring Iran to stop executing those under age 18, and the UN General Assembly has adopted a non-binding resolution denouncing the practice of executing minors in Iran.

Iran's ultraconservative judiciary has responded to critics by saying that minors are not executed in the Islamic republic. It has also proposed a law that would prohibit the death penalty or flagellation for those who were minors at the time of the crimes.

According to Iranian law, a boy can be executed from the age of 15, and a girl from the age of nine. However, the execution is carried out when the offender is over 18 years old.

The Iranian press reported that a disabled man had been executed in public on Friday, the first of the year. At least 81 people were executed in Iran last year, according to an AFP tally based on press reports and witnesses. Amnesty International says that at least 159 people were executed in Iran in 2004.

Tehran, Iran, Saturday January 7, 2006 - An Iranian court has sentenced a teenage rape victim to death by hanging after she weepingly confessed that she had unintentionally killed a man who had tried to rape both her and her niece.

The state-run daily Etemaad reported on Saturday that 18-year-old Nazanin confessed to stabbing one of three men who had attacked the pair along with their boyfriends while they were spending some time in a park west of the Iranian capital in March 2005.

Nazanin, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, said that after the three men started to throw stones at them, the two girls' boyfriends quickly escaped on their motorbikes leaving the pair helpless.

She described how the three men pushed her and her 16-year-old niece Somayeh onto the ground and tried to rape them, and said that she took out a knife from her pocket and stabbed one of the men in the hand.

As the girls tried to escape, the men once again attacked them, and at this point, Nazanin said, she stabbed one of the men in the chest. The teenage girl, however, broke down in tears in court as she explained that she had no intention of killing the man but was merely defending herself and her younger niece from rape, the report said.

The court, however, issued on Tuesday a sentence for Nazanin to be hanged to death.

Last week, a court in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, sentenced Delara Darabi to death by hanging charged with murder when she was 17 years old. Darabi has denied the charges. In August 2004, Iran's Islamic penal system sentenced a 16-year-old girl, Atefeh Rajabi, to death after a sham trial, in which she was accused of committing "acts incompatible with chastity".

The teenage victim had no access to a lawyer at any stage and efforts by her family to retain one were to no avail. Atefeh personally defended herself and told the religious judge that he should punish those who force women into adultery, not the victims. She was eventually hanged in public in the northern town of Neka.

Iran: Amnesty International calls for end to death penalty for child offendersAmnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to take immediate steps to end the use of the death penalty for child offenders. Two new cases have been reported in which child offenders – persons under 18 at the time of the crime – have been sentenced to death by Iranian courts, in breach of Iran’s obligations under international human rights law.

On 3 January, 18-year-old Nazanin was sentenced to death for murder by a criminal court, after she reportedly admitted stabbing to death one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 16-year-old niece in a park in Karaj in March 2005. She was seventeen at the time. Her sentence is subject to review by the Court of Appeal, and if upheld, to confirmation by the Supreme Court.

According to reports in the Iranian newspaper, E’temaad, Nazanin told the court that three men had approached her and her niece, forced them to the ground and tried to rape them. Seeking to defend her niece and herself, Nazanin stabbed one man in the hand with a knife that she possessed and then, when the men continued to pursue them, stabbed another of the men in the chest. She reportedly told the court “I wanted to defend myself and my niece. I did not want to kill that boy. At the heat of the moment I did not know what to do because no one came to our help”, but was nevertheless sentenced to death.

Another child offender, 19-year-old Delara Darabi, was sentenced to death by a court in the city of Rasht for a murder committed when she was 17 years old. She denied the killing but the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court at the beginning of January, though her lawyer is reportedly appealing the decision.

The Persian language news service Aftab reported that Delara Darabi and a 19-year-old man, Amir Hossein, broke into a house intending to commit burglary, but killed the woman who lived there. Delara Darabi initially confessed to the murder, but subsequently retracted her confession and stated that she had admitted responsibility for the murder at the request of Amir Hossein, to help him escape execution, because he believed that she would not be sentenced to death because she was under 18 at the time of the murder. She said that she was under the influence of sedatives during the burglary.

As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Iran has undertaken not to execute anyone for an offence committed when they were under the age of 18. Nevertheless, Amnesty International has recorded 18 executions of child offenders in Iran since 1990. In 2005 alone, at least eight executions of child offenders were recorded.

The Iranian authorities have been reported for about four years to be considering passing legislation to ban the use of the death penalty for offences committed under the age of 18. Despite this, over the past two years, the number of child offenders executed has risen. Recent comments by a judiciary spokesperson suggest that the new law would in any case only prohibit the death penalty for certain crimes when committed by children, as he stated that “qisas” crimes (retribution – the sentence issued in cases where defendants are found guilty of murder) were a private, not a state matter. The majority of executions of child offenders in Iran are cases of “qisas” where the individual has been found guilty of murder.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors states’ compliance with the CRC, in January 2005 urged Iran to immediately stay all executions of people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18, and to abolish the use of the death penalty in such cases.

On 9 December, Philip Alston, the United Nations Human Rights Commission’s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said “At a time when virtually every other country in the world has firmly and clearly renounced the execution of people for crimes they committed as children, the Iranian approach is particularly unacceptable... It is all the more surprising because the obligation to refrain from such executions is not only clear and incontrovertible, but the Government of Iran has itself stated that it will cease this practice.”

Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to prevent the executions of Delara Darabi and Nazanin and other child offenders, and to take urgent steps to abolish the death penalty for all child offenders in accordance with Iran’s obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam is not just another pretty face. This former Miss World Canada — 2003 runner-up to the Miss World pageant — who will have her first album out this summer, has much more on her mind than her music and her cosmetics bag. Nazanin is a native of Iran. She recently heard about a young woman — with whom she shares both a nativeland and a name — who has been sentenced to death in Iran for killing a man in self-defense when she and her niece were being assaulted (the men were trying to rape them). Nazanin has since adopted the cause of her namesake.

Nazanin recently spoke to National Review Online editor Kathryn Lopez about young Nazanin — who Lopez wrote about here — and the plight of the Iranian people, as well as Ms. Afshin-Jam's career and Persian roots.

Nazanin: When I first heard about Nazanin I was horrified. I instinctively thought, “It could have been me”. If three men tried to rape my 16-year-old niece and me and I had possession of a knife I would have defended myself in the same way. The only difference is that I thankfully live in a country that understands JUSTICE. I feel terrible that a victim of attempted rape is being treated as a first rate criminal.

I do not only worry about the case of Nazanin, since she represents a larger problem. She is just one of many people being wrongfully tried in Iran, Pakistan, and around the world. Nazanin’s case is particularly concerning because Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and is therefore under obligation NOT to impose the death penalty on those under the age of 18. Nevertheless, Amnesty International has recorded 18 executions of child offenders in Iran since 1990. In 2005 alone, at least eight executions of child offenders were recorded. Nazanin was 17 years old at the time of commission of the offense and therefore Iran is in breach. If Iran is in breach of this treaty could they do the same for other treaties particularly those in relation to nuclear energy?

Lopez: Why did your family leave Iran?

Nazanin: We left to escape political persecution due to the Revolution. We could not tolerate the brutally of the regime and political, social and economic instability, not to mention a judicial system based on sharia law that spells out that a woman’s life is worth half that of a man’s

Nazanin: Why was your father tortured?

Lopez: The Islamic Fundamentalists forbid music and mingling between men and women. My father was the General Manager of the Sheraton Hotel in Iran, so he allowed for these to take place. They shaved his head, brutally lashed and tortured him until he could no longer stand. He was to be put before a firing squad, but by miraculous intervention through a mutual acquaintance he was released. He almost died due to his injuries but thank God he is with us today. He was one among thousands and thousands to be subject to such torture.

Lopez: Do you remember anything about Iran?

Nazanin: I left when I was only one, so unfortunately, the only memories I have are from pictures in my photo album.

Lopez: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if your family stayed there?

Nazanin: All the time. This is why I am so dedicated to helping those stuck in such a repressive regime.

Lopez: Does your family keep in touch with people in Iran still? If so what do they say about the situation there — politically, culturally?

Nazanin: People in Iran are afraid that their newly elected President Ahmadinejad is jeopardizing the quality of life of the Iranian people through his abuse of power and derogatory remarks on the international stage. They fear economic sanctions and/or war by the West. In other words they fear a repeat of Iraq on Iran.

Lopez: Have you ever been back? Do you hope to go back?

Nazanin: I have never been back; however my dream is to one day be able to visit my homeland. It would be such an honor to visit a country with such an ancient and rich culture. I think I will wait until things calm down in the region before packing any bags.

Lopez: You do some singing in Persian, don’t you? Do Iranians ever get to hear your music?

Nazanin: Most of my music is in English; however I have one song in French, others with Spanish influence and one traditional Persian song. My song “Someday: the revolution song” is in English but speaks of Iran. I have samples of my music on my website, www.nazanin.ca and my album will be out for worldwide release in July.

Lopez: What’s the message of “Someday”?

Nazanin: Generally, “Someday” is a song of hope. It speaks to those who have had to change their life due to political or social injustices. It speaks about staying strong, rising above and driving forward to free oneself from the shackles that bind.

Specifically, I sing to the oppressed youth of Iran — who have been witness to a “regressive revolution” — not to give up because “someday we will find a way.”
Full lyrics can be found next to where my music plays on my website.

Lopez: What kinds of doors are opened to a Miss World Canada — to pursue political issues, for instance?

Nazanin: Having won the Miss World Canada title and having come runner up at Miss World in a television broadcast of over 2.2 billion people has certainly helped in giving me a platform to speak on issues close to my heart. During my reign I had the opportunity to travel the world and be a spokesperson for various charities; naturally I gained a lot of contacts which is now helping me gain momentum in the efforts to help save young Nazanin and in pursuing other humanitarian issues.

Lopez: I’m guessing Iran doesn’t participate in Miss World, right?

Nazanin: No, “the Islamic Republic of Iran” does not participate in Miss World. During my year I felt like I was a direct ambassador of Canada and an indirect ambassador of Iran.

Lopez: Have you been able to talk to anyone about Nazanin’s case?

Nazanin: Yes, I am getting support from people in my local community including Negar Azmudeh — an immigration lawyer that focuses on human rights issues. We are in the process of trying to get a hold of young Nazanin’s lawyer in Iran to get more details about the case and ask them what is needed to help save her life.

In the meantime we have started a petition.

Amnesty International will be getting back to me in a few days about the next steps of action.

Once we have all the necessary information we will be forming coalitions with various Women’s Rights groups and Human Rights NGOs and compassionate Islamic groups to move forward. We will also be contacting the media.

Lopez: What is your hope for women like Nazanin and for the Iranian people in general?

Nazanin: I hope that women in the Middle East will be respected and recognized as equals. Iran is a strong country with a highly educated population; the only thing missing is opportunity. Iranians are recognized at the top of their schools and fields worldwide. My hope is for Iranians (and all citizens of the world) to have access to capabilities to follow all their dreams without fear of persecution. I hope Iran realizes its full potential soon under a free and democratic system.

cyrus wrote:

cyrus wrote:

Iran : A 17 year old girl is sentenced to death by hanging.
2006/01/08

A Plea For Support & PROTEST: Rise Up For Defense Of Brave 17-year-old Iranian girl Sentenced to Death By Islamist Mullah Court for Defending Herself Against Three Islamist Rapists and Support Islamist Regime Change NOW

What You Can Do1- Sign and spread this petition, started by Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam.

2- Help spreading the story about Nazanin! Tell everyone you know, family, friends and others who might be interested. Direct them to this web page and ask them to take action for Nazanin.

3- Contact newspapers, TV-channels, blogs and other media and ask them to report this story.
4- Write about Nazanin in your own blog, homepage, or in internet forums or chat rooms you frequent.
5- Put a link to this page in your email signature.
http://activistchat.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=28004#28004
6- Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your country and ask them to pressure Iran to commute the death sentence and free Nazanin.

7- By increasing the world public awareness we will create powerful critical mass that forces Islamofascist regime to back off and FREE this brave Iranian girl Nazanin NOW.
Please remember those who create Fear Society by execution and torture are very weak people and live in fear from anyone, anything and their own shadows ….
With Unity and courage we the people can burst the Evil Islamofascist bubble …

8- Contact those who you think they might care show them you are angry and Nazanin Must Become FREE NOW, the contact list is shown below.

__________________________________________________________

Contact List For You To Choose From wrote:

Dear compatriots

Here is a list on important contact info to various international news outlets and political organizations etc, please send any relevant news and views to the below in order to help further our cause in these very sensitive times that we have ahead of us.

"The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomes your queries. However, we advise you to follow the guidelines set out below. Otherwise it may not be possible to respond to your queries."

Mail: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
c/o Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations Secretariat
2 United Nations Plaza, DC-2/12th Floor
New York, NY 10017, United States of America

Fax: + 1-212-963-3463

Commission on Human Rights

Mail: Commission/Sub-Commission Team (1503 Procedure)
Support Services Branch
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Important Announcement: Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam Petition Has Become One Of The Most Active - Top 10 Petitions List in the www.petitiononline.com Site. PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION NOW and INFORM OTHERS ASAP

To: To: The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan,The United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, Louise Arbour,The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, and The Head of the Judiciary of IRI Ayatollah Mahmoud Has

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned for 18-year-old Nazanin who faces execution by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On January 3, 2006, 18-year-old Nazanin was sentenced to death for murder by court in Iran after she reportedly admitted fatally stabbing one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 16-year-old niece in a park in Karaj (a suburb of Tehran) in March 2005. She was seventeen at the time. Her sentence is subject to review by the Court of Appeal, and if upheld, to confirmation by the Supreme Court.

According to reports in the Iranian newspaper E?temaad, Nazanin told the court that three men had approached her and her niece, forced them to the ground and attempted to rape them. Seeking to defend her niece and herself, Nazanin stabbed one man in the hand with a knife that she possessed. As the men continued their attack, she stabbed another of the men in the chest, which eventually caused his death. She reportedly told the court ?I wanted to defend myself and my niece. I did not want to kill that boy. At the heat of the moment I did not know what to do because no one came to our help?. She was nevertheless sentenced to the maximum punishment possible under the law, death by hanging.

Urgent action is needed to help save a young life whose only crime was an attempt to defend herself. Nazanin and many like her are caught between two undesirable options. On one hand, Iranian Penal Code severely limits the possibility of using ?self-defense? as a legitimate defence to aggression. On the other hand, if Nazanin had allowed the rape to take place, she could still be imprisoned, flogged or stoned for having sex outside of marriage unless four male witnesses to the actual rape would testify on her behalf.

Moreover, Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and is therefore under obligation NOT to impose the death penalty on those under the age of 18. Nevertheless, Amnesty International has recorded 18 executions of child offenders in Iran since 1990. In 2005 alone, at least eight executions of child offenders were recorded. Nazanin was 17 years old at the time of commission of the offense and therefore Iran is in breach.

We urge that the death sentence imposed on Nazanin be commuted immediately;
We urge the authorities to carry out a thorough review of the case, in particular the limits of self-defense as detailed in the Iranian Penal Code;
We urge the authorities to ensure that the victim?s family is made aware of its right, under Islamic law, to request a pardon of the condemned;
We appeal to the Islamic Republic of Iran to honor its commitment to the ICCPR and ICC, to which they are a state party.

The Save Nazanin Petition to The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan,The United Nations High
Commissioner of Human Rights, Louise Arbour,The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah
Seyed Ali Khamenei, and The Head of the Judiciary of IRI Ayatollah Mahmoud
Has was created by and written by Nazanin Afshin-Jam (info@nazanin.ca).
This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement
of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors.
For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

To the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan
To United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour
To the President in office of the Council of the EU, Wolfgang Schüssel

The year that has just begun has been marked in Iran by news of a death sentence handed down to a girl, Nazanin, for murder.
Nazanin allegedly stabbed to death one of two men that had tried to rape her in Teheran in March 2005, when she was still only 17 years of age.
Nazanin’s case is one of many of minors being condemned to death in Iran, a totalitarian and misogynist regime with a disregard even for the most fundamental of human rights, particularly with relation to women.
Locked up in the juvenile prisons of Teheran and Rajai-Shahr are at least 30 people sentenced to death who were under 18 years of age at the time of the crime.
At least eight minors were hanged in 2005 in direct violation of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Iranian regime, which oppresses its citizens with unheard of violence, also represents a threat to the security of the international community as demonstrated by its atomic ambitions and the public announcements by its President against the existence of the state of Israel.
For Hands Off Cain the death penalty in Iran is first of all a battle for the affirmation of human rights and the constitution of a democratic state.
For us democracy in Iran also starts with the young life of Nazanin and of all the forgotten women on death rows in the mullahs’ regime.
For this, we ask You, as the highest representatives of the International Community, to work in bringing about respect in Iran for the life of its citizens and to assure the right to freedom and democracy, fundamental elements of the international community of which today we all feel an active part.

TAKE ACTION

Last edited by cyrus on Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

VANCOUVER: A Canadian beauty queen’s campaign to save the life of an Iranian teenager is drawing worldwide interest, with more than 7,000 people signing a petition.

The petition, addressed to the United Nations and the Islamic Republic of Iran, asks that the death sentence of a young woman named Nazanin be commuted.

Amnesty International has said the woman was 17 when she “reportedly admitted stabbing to death one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 16-year-old niece in a park in Karaj in March 2005.” Now 18, Nazanin was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Amnesty International and human rights workers in the case said they have been unable to contact her family or lawyers, and do not know if legal appeals are scheduled.

“It is a horrific story, and her name being Nazanin shocked me,” said Nazanin Afshin-Jam, who came as a baby with her refugee family to this western Canadian city, fleeing Iran’s revolution. afp